Six Proofs of Purchases by Tangent (1347 words)
Hurry up, Carrie! Mrs. Mullins. After you finish that cereal, your red rain boots are by the door.
Carrie nodded at her mom and gave her a thumbs-up. Then Carrie continued to swing her feet as she munched away on her cereal. During this bite, she decided to swing her head from right to left, tracing an arch back and forth in the air. But then she froze as her eyes caught an ad on the back of her box of Honey-Coated Peanut Butter Crunches with Banana Chips and Chocolate Nuggets. She grabbed the box and brought it closer. She saw a picture of the cereals mascot, a girl named Penny who did archeological digs for crunches and nuggets with her pet dog named Butter.
Hey Dad! Look at this! I can get glasses that actually shoot LASERS! And, I can get a miniature cape for Pennys sidekick!
Okay.
Of course, I dont know have the plush doll of Butter. But who needs that? Carrie asked rhetorically as she shooed the air. Really, Ive got Snuffles! A guinea pig with a flying cape! Wow!
Mr. Mullins continued to read the newspaper. Wow, indeed.
From the garage, Mrs. Mullins called out as she secured the car seat in the back. Carrie was so scrawny that she still needed to use a car seat. Carrie? You almost done?
Carrie, did you hear your mom? She needs to get to work and drop you off, encouraged Mr. Mullins.
Okay, said Carrie, unperturbed. She stuffed her mouth with one more bite and smiled at the cape. Snuffles flying with a red cape that would match her goggles! And the cape had a star on it! With the two of them equipped with such dazzling superhero paraphernalia, the possibilities were simply endless. She gingerly carried her of now chocolatey milk to the sink. As she put on her backpack, she looked at her dad and with pride, she suggested, If youre still hungry after your coffee and toast, Dad, then by all means, help yourself to some Honey-Coated Peanut Butter Crunch
Okay, Buddy, assured Dad. But for now, I think you should sprint to the car before Mom starts counting.
Carrie sprinted.
In the car ride, she thought about how, starting tomorrow, baggied cereals would make up her lunch snack. And shed definitely have to replace apple slices and peanut butter as her afternoon snack for more cereal with milk. Maybe her parents would let her have dessert. That would make her fourth bowl of cereal. Carrie wondered about the number of cereal bowls a box would fill.
Some stuff happened during the day like Anahita getting sand in her shoes from the sandbox. Ryan cried when Juan kicked his four-square ball across the field, and Carries class looked at meal worms in science. But Carrie floated through all of this in oblivion, light-headed from skipping lunch. She planned on an extra-large after school snack of cereal bowls.
The next day, during Spelling, Carrie imagined herself shooting lasers at Ryan, and Snuggles backing her up with his flying cape. During recess, Carrie barely acknowledged getting poked with The Cheese as she imagined herself shooting lasers to transform ice into water. She wondered if Penny the archeologist from the cereal box turned solids into liquids, too. Carrie came home and ate more cereal.
In the evening, at the table, she wondered how long itd take to get through six cereal boxes. Dad, would you like some dessert? Maybe something like a banana split? Or
If you want the laser goggles and the miniature cape, then you need to earn them yourself, Carrie.
So Carrie had extra helpings of cereal for dessert, until her stomach hurt.
But by the next morning, she was ready for more. And the next day, she ate more ceral. All day, she imagined jumping off of building with laser beams next to her mighty sidekick guinea pig. All she could do at her desk was thread her fingers at her desk and smile.
That evening, she emptied the final sugary powder at the bottom of the plastic bag from her sixth cereal box. At last! Her last proof of purchase! Carrie dashed over to grab the kitchen scissors to cut out the proof from the box before chucking the rest of the cardboard into the recycling bin.
Mom! You wont believe it! Carrie exclaimed. I cant believe I did this, she added, more to herself. Carrie explained all her plans with the laser goggles and the cape for Snuggles as her Mom put together the proofs of purchases in an envelope.
I cant wait until tomorrow morning. Everything will be great.
Carrie, it said on the box that your cereal prize wont arrive for six to eight weeks, corrected Mrs. Mullins.
What?!
And thats after they receive our envelope and process it.
How do I survive that long?
Make sure youre fed and bathed, I guess.
But really, my age after eight weeks? Over the hill.
Honey, its just eight weeks. You wont even know the time passed.
Instead, however, Carrie agonized over her anticipation. Her dreams about lasers and flying guinea pigs felt so real that waking up left Carrie in utter disappointment. Her teacher was surprised that she wasnt interested in coming to the Smart Board to perform three-digit long division. Every day, Carrie simply stared blankly, almost through the Smart Board, into another world of laser-shooting rodents. Each afternoon, Carried checked the mail, but always shuffled back into the house with heart-breaking disappointment.
Just as the weather was getting warmer, Carrie diligently slumped over to the mailbox after stepping off the bus, like usual. This time, not only was her package not there, but the mailbox delivered nothing. No credit card or mortgage refinance offers.
Before Carrie could close the mailbox, her mom called from the front door, apparently retrieving the mail a little early. She held up a box the size of a guinea pig. Carrie! Todays your lucky day!
Carries body flung into shock. Not knowing what to do with her moms news, she burst into tears and then laughed hysterically as she sprinted towards the front door to her smiling mother. She dropped her backpack and opened the box.
This is it! This is it! she cheered as she pulled away the packaging paper and revealed the goggles and the cape. Carrie gasped. Then she walked over to Snuggles hutch.
Snuggles! The moment youve been waiting for! You can now fly! Carrie picked up Snuggles who whistled and squeaked in her arms. She set him down on the carpet next to the package. In his curiosity, he twitched his nose and stared at the package with a blank expression. Carrie placed the cape over Snuggles back who was surprisingly accommodating. And then, she dawned her goggles.
She squinted, but nothing happened. She raised her eyebrows. Nothing. Carrie looked to the left and to the right. Nope. She crossed her eyes. No lasers.
Snuggles run real fast until you start floating.
Snuggles sat there.
Ooooaaaahaooahaga! hollered Carrie as she flailed her arms. Snuggles ran to the corner. But he didnt levitate.
Carrie took a deep breath. What was this madness?
Mom! Dad! she cried in desperation. Both her parents arrived quickly. In tears, she added, Its not working.
Whats not working? asked Mr. Mullins.
The laser goggles. And the cape. Snuggles isnt flying and Im not shooting lasers, she responded despondently. She desperately needed parents to save the day.
Mr. Mullins put her arm around Carrie tightly. Buddy, its for pretend! And you have a great imagination!
Pretend?
Yeah, Carrie, its great! You worked so hard! assured Mrs. Mullins. The goggles and cape even match your invisible ink pen.
But the pen actually works!
Now thats no reason to raise your voice, said Mrs. Mullins.
In slow motion, Carrie folded her head down to the carpet and then let herself topple over. In exhaustion, she spooned Snuggles in a deep sleep, skipping her afternoon snack. The family consumed all the cereal anyway.
Hurry up, Carrie! Mrs. Mullins. After you finish that cereal, your red rain boots are by the door.
Carrie nodded at her mom and gave her a thumbs-up. Then Carrie continued to swing her feet as she munched away on her cereal. During this bite, she decided to swing her head from right to left, tracing an arch back and forth in the air. But then she froze as her eyes caught an ad on the back of her box of Honey-Coated Peanut Butter Crunches with Banana Chips and Chocolate Nuggets. She grabbed the box and brought it closer. She saw a picture of the cereals mascot, a girl named Penny who did archeological digs for crunches and nuggets with her pet dog named Butter.
Hey Dad! Look at this! I can get glasses that actually shoot LASERS! And, I can get a miniature cape for Pennys sidekick!
Okay.
Of course, I dont know have the plush doll of Butter. But who needs that? Carrie asked rhetorically as she shooed the air. Really, Ive got Snuffles! A guinea pig with a flying cape! Wow!
Mr. Mullins continued to read the newspaper. Wow, indeed.
From the garage, Mrs. Mullins called out as she secured the car seat in the back. Carrie was so scrawny that she still needed to use a car seat. Carrie? You almost done?
Carrie, did you hear your mom? She needs to get to work and drop you off, encouraged Mr. Mullins.
Okay, said Carrie, unperturbed. She stuffed her mouth with one more bite and smiled at the cape. Snuffles flying with a red cape that would match her goggles! And the cape had a star on it! With the two of them equipped with such dazzling superhero paraphernalia, the possibilities were simply endless. She gingerly carried her of now chocolatey milk to the sink. As she put on her backpack, she looked at her dad and with pride, she suggested, If youre still hungry after your coffee and toast, Dad, then by all means, help yourself to some Honey-Coated Peanut Butter Crunch
Okay, Buddy, assured Dad. But for now, I think you should sprint to the car before Mom starts counting.
Carrie sprinted.
In the car ride, she thought about how, starting tomorrow, baggied cereals would make up her lunch snack. And shed definitely have to replace apple slices and peanut butter as her afternoon snack for more cereal with milk. Maybe her parents would let her have dessert. That would make her fourth bowl of cereal. Carrie wondered about the number of cereal bowls a box would fill.
Some stuff happened during the day like Anahita getting sand in her shoes from the sandbox. Ryan cried when Juan kicked his four-square ball across the field, and Carries class looked at meal worms in science. But Carrie floated through all of this in oblivion, light-headed from skipping lunch. She planned on an extra-large after school snack of cereal bowls.
The next day, during Spelling, Carrie imagined herself shooting lasers at Ryan, and Snuggles backing her up with his flying cape. During recess, Carrie barely acknowledged getting poked with The Cheese as she imagined herself shooting lasers to transform ice into water. She wondered if Penny the archeologist from the cereal box turned solids into liquids, too. Carrie came home and ate more cereal.
In the evening, at the table, she wondered how long itd take to get through six cereal boxes. Dad, would you like some dessert? Maybe something like a banana split? Or
If you want the laser goggles and the miniature cape, then you need to earn them yourself, Carrie.
So Carrie had extra helpings of cereal for dessert, until her stomach hurt.
But by the next morning, she was ready for more. And the next day, she ate more ceral. All day, she imagined jumping off of building with laser beams next to her mighty sidekick guinea pig. All she could do at her desk was thread her fingers at her desk and smile.
That evening, she emptied the final sugary powder at the bottom of the plastic bag from her sixth cereal box. At last! Her last proof of purchase! Carrie dashed over to grab the kitchen scissors to cut out the proof from the box before chucking the rest of the cardboard into the recycling bin.
Mom! You wont believe it! Carrie exclaimed. I cant believe I did this, she added, more to herself. Carrie explained all her plans with the laser goggles and the cape for Snuggles as her Mom put together the proofs of purchases in an envelope.
I cant wait until tomorrow morning. Everything will be great.
Carrie, it said on the box that your cereal prize wont arrive for six to eight weeks, corrected Mrs. Mullins.
What?!
And thats after they receive our envelope and process it.
How do I survive that long?
Make sure youre fed and bathed, I guess.
But really, my age after eight weeks? Over the hill.
Honey, its just eight weeks. You wont even know the time passed.
Instead, however, Carrie agonized over her anticipation. Her dreams about lasers and flying guinea pigs felt so real that waking up left Carrie in utter disappointment. Her teacher was surprised that she wasnt interested in coming to the Smart Board to perform three-digit long division. Every day, Carrie simply stared blankly, almost through the Smart Board, into another world of laser-shooting rodents. Each afternoon, Carried checked the mail, but always shuffled back into the house with heart-breaking disappointment.
Just as the weather was getting warmer, Carrie diligently slumped over to the mailbox after stepping off the bus, like usual. This time, not only was her package not there, but the mailbox delivered nothing. No credit card or mortgage refinance offers.
Before Carrie could close the mailbox, her mom called from the front door, apparently retrieving the mail a little early. She held up a box the size of a guinea pig. Carrie! Todays your lucky day!
Carries body flung into shock. Not knowing what to do with her moms news, she burst into tears and then laughed hysterically as she sprinted towards the front door to her smiling mother. She dropped her backpack and opened the box.
This is it! This is it! she cheered as she pulled away the packaging paper and revealed the goggles and the cape. Carrie gasped. Then she walked over to Snuggles hutch.
Snuggles! The moment youve been waiting for! You can now fly! Carrie picked up Snuggles who whistled and squeaked in her arms. She set him down on the carpet next to the package. In his curiosity, he twitched his nose and stared at the package with a blank expression. Carrie placed the cape over Snuggles back who was surprisingly accommodating. And then, she dawned her goggles.
She squinted, but nothing happened. She raised her eyebrows. Nothing. Carrie looked to the left and to the right. Nope. She crossed her eyes. No lasers.
Snuggles run real fast until you start floating.
Snuggles sat there.
Ooooaaaahaooahaga! hollered Carrie as she flailed her arms. Snuggles ran to the corner. But he didnt levitate.
Carrie took a deep breath. What was this madness?
Mom! Dad! she cried in desperation. Both her parents arrived quickly. In tears, she added, Its not working.
Whats not working? asked Mr. Mullins.
The laser goggles. And the cape. Snuggles isnt flying and Im not shooting lasers, she responded despondently. She desperately needed parents to save the day.
Mr. Mullins put her arm around Carrie tightly. Buddy, its for pretend! And you have a great imagination!
Pretend?
Yeah, Carrie, its great! You worked so hard! assured Mrs. Mullins. The goggles and cape even match your invisible ink pen.
But the pen actually works!
Now thats no reason to raise your voice, said Mrs. Mullins.
In slow motion, Carrie folded her head down to the carpet and then let herself topple over. In exhaustion, she spooned Snuggles in a deep sleep, skipping her afternoon snack. The family consumed all the cereal anyway.