LOOKING FOR JOEY By Vela Damon

Here's a gentle nudge into the week with some flash from Vela...

Looking for Joey

Amy rolled her eyes so far back it gave her a headache; she cursed at the computer screen, then at her brother. As usual, Troy had timed his entrance perfectly and the distraction had cost Amy her last life in Zombie Action Heroes. And she'd been so close to defeating the crypt commander!

"Thanks a lot, Troy, now I gotta start all over."

"I've got more important stuff to worry about than some stupid computer game. I guess it's too much to ask for you to get off your butt and help me?"

"Don't get on my case 'cause you're suddenly obsessed with finding some old stuffed animal. What's so important about a singing kangaroo anyway?"

"It's not the kangaroo that's important, it's the joey."

"Who's Joey?"

"A joey is a baby kangaroo. You know, the cute little guy in the pouch? Duh."

"And this joey's so great because?"

"Because Grandma's last words were 'find the joey'. Any of that ring a bell?"

Amy shrugged. "I just thought she was delirious, remembering some old boyfriend or something."

She turned back to the computer and restarted her game as Troy began rummaging through the hall closet, pulling out boxes, dumping the contents on the floor. Where is it? Come on, Grandma, help me out here. I know that's where you hid the rest of the diamonds. It has to be, the cops ransacked everything else...

"Troy, you're not listening to me."

"Grandma?" Troy said, looking around wildly.

"No, idiot," Amy said. "You think she's speaking to you from the other side or something? What is it with you lately? I miss her, too, but dang... anyway, I remembered where I saw your precious kangaroo."

"Where?"

"Remember how Grandma harped at me for months about cleaning out the shed and I finally did it right before...."

"Yeah, yeah, so where is it?"

"I gave it to Goodwill with all the other stuff, like Grandma told me to."

BIO:

Vela Damon has been writing forever, but only recently started trying to "do something with it". When she's not writing, reading or daydreaming about making the bestseller lists, she's all out of time to do anything else. Lack of food and sleep will do her in eventually, but posthumous fame is still fame, right?