"Bryan Andrew!  You mean to tell me that you're scared to go down to the basement?" the boy's mother replied in a tone of disbelief.  "Act your age!  You're ten years old, not two!  Only babies are scared of the dark!"

"Yes, I am scared of the dark!  Ever since I watched that horror flick ... " the boy spoke, then stopped abruptly.  He had already said too much.  His mother had forbade him to see any horror movie; he nearly blurted out the secret he had held inside him for far too long, when he and his friend had watched a horror flick while Bryan Andrew spent the night at his friend's house nearly a month ago.  Ever since, Bryan Andrew had been terrified of the dark.

Bryan's mother rolled her eyes, then sighed heavily.  "You mean to tell me you watched a horror movie when I specifically told you not to??" she demanded of her son.  Bryan gulped nervously as he managed to squeak out a hesitant "Yes".  "Bryan Andrew!  How could you??  You went behind my back!  I am so disappointed in you!" Bryan's mother continued sharply.

Bryan knew he was far too old to cry, but he couldn't help himself.  Tears pooled in his big, brown eyes and ran down his cheeks.  He knew he had disobeyed his mother and he felt terrible for going behind her back like he did.  He knew that he was in trouble.  

Bryan dreaded to think what the punishment might be.  No Internet?  No Game Boy?  No visits from his friends, in particular, Seth, his best buddy?  No dinner?  An early bedtime?  A good butt licking?  A good tongue lashing from his father, who did not tolerate disobedience of any kind? 

He looked at his mother, anger still flashing from her dark eyes.  Her face was red with rage; it would probably be some time before she cooled down, Bryan thought.  He tried to make himself look smaller; his mother and father both had bad tempers and it didn't take much to make either one of them mad.  He knew he had messed up; he had to come clean and confess his sin.  That was exactly what he did.

The punishment he got?  No Internet for a week or friends over.  He had to go to his room and think about what he did.  He then had to apologize to his parents and then to his friend for begging him to see that stupid horror movie.

Bryan begged his mother not to make him go to the basement, but his mother would not budge.  "Bryan, you mean to tell me you don't have enough sense to turn on the light, so it won't be dark??  Honestly, Bryan, I swear you're as stupid as a bag of rocks!"  the boy's mother said, disgusted.  Bryan started crying again as he turned on the light and slowly crept down the stairs leading to the basement.  

Not even a minute later, Bryan returned with the small bag of potatoes for the supper he would probably not feel like eating, not with the knot of guilt currently sitting in his belly.  If only he had not begged his friend nto see that hated horror flick!  Then he would have not been in the pickle he was currently in!

~To be continued.~