🧩 Puzzle (STWG Daily Drabble Prompt) 🧩
A loud knock on the door stirs Steve from his boredom at the dining table, where he and his mother are trying – and failing – to complete a puzzle. They are supposed to be constructing an image of a basket chock-full of kittens, but so far it feels like the number of puzzle pieces are multiplying by the second.
And all Steve has at his place setting are a few disparate, fluffy ears. He grabs the candle illuminating his pathetic puzzle pile, and pushes out his seat.
But before he his legs can catch up, the front door opens, the sounding of pouring rain echoing through the house. Steve's mother jumps at the sound, the contents of her wine glass dangerously sloshing about.
"Ah!" comes a shrill scream that could only be Dustin. The door slams shut with a harsh whip of the wind, "Son of a bitch!"
Next, what must be a backpack and some kind of raincoat falls to the tiles with a wet slap as a flashlight strobes about all over the living room.
Steve's mother rolls her eyes as she spins in her seat to face the direction of the front entryway. She sighs, "Shoes off too, Dustin!"
There is more rustling and grunting, more curses, grumbles and flashes of light, and soon, a rain-soaked Dustin is standing in their dining room.
He huffs with relief, gathers himself, and offers a big smile.
"Mom heard on the radio that the power was out over here, so..." he holds up a gigantic ceramic tray covered with aluminium wrap, "Here's some lasagne."
Steve perks up, his mouth watering.
His eyes follow as Dustin sets the delicious meal on the end of the large dining table. But his friend's pudgy fingers crinkle against the wrap, his focus landing on the mess scattered across the table.
"Oh – no. No, no," Dustin sighs, shaking his head, "You guys are going about this all wrong."
Steve straightens up in his seat as his mother glares up at his friend gesturing over the dining table.
"Excuse me?" she says, bewildered.
Steve clears his throat and begins shaking his head. Gesturing for the kid to cut it out – anything to grab Dustin's attention.
But the little shithead just keeps going.
"You need to start with the outside border. That way, you will also find the corners," he explains as he starts gathering said pieces.
He slides them across the table, away from Steve's and his mother's grasp, conveniently right in front of an empty dining chair. Steve folds his arms as his mother scoops up her glass of wine, huffs and slumps back in her seat.