Kathie Leung – author

June Bugs (Installment 3)

[Read first installment here]
[Read second installment here]

It wasn’t the structure that exploded, but rather what was inside it.

The sky lit up with colorful starbursts. Loud whistles. Big bangs. All while the firefighters dove for cover. It was as if both the ground and the sky had become alive with mirrored activity. For every firefighter that dove, a starburst appeared in the sky.

“What the fuck, Chuck?” Jake muttered with a shake of his head. Of course. Chuck was getting ready for the 4th of July. How many fireworks did he have shoved inside that shack?

“Should I get the hot dogs and marshmallows?” Bridget appeared at his elbow. Jake laughed in a good-natured way.

“If I were you, I’d be looking into real estate that offered top-notch fire protection.”

“Ah, where’s the fun in that? Chuck will be Chuck. You of all people ought to know that.”

“A boy in a grown man’s body.” Jake said what ordinarily Bridget would have said.

“He with the most toys when he dies, wins.” She laughed and then sobered when she asked, “How is it that when he’s on the job, these sorts of maladies don’t happen?”

Jake flashed her a grin.

“Ho, are you going to take credit for that?”

He shrugged.

“We’ll chalk my responsibility shirking up to being blinded by love,” she gazed out at the premature fireworks display.

Another engine roared onto scene. They kept a safe distance back while setting up.

“Good thing we installed that cistern last year,” Bridget confided.

Jake said nothing. The only reason that cistern came into existence was because Jake threatened to permanently disable Chuck after the whole Santa Claus experience. Both were lucky to come out of that episode in one piece. Chuck wasn’t as lucky, though. He ended up in the same room as Jake while recovering at the hospital. Jake took full advantage.

“Where is Chuck?” He had scanned the property in vain.

“I haven’t the foggiest.”

Jake’s heart fell into his sockless shoes.

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This is an interactive story. What do you foresee happening next? Where would you like the story to go? Leave a comment below and check back to see if your ideas were incorporated into the story (note that these are written in advance and scheduled to post, so your idea might appear–but it might be a bit further down the line).

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Jake and Chuck’s Adventures is a new section of KathieLeung.com with weekly installments in this fun and never-ending story that features two unforgettable spear carriers from Kathie’s works.

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