In every story that comes out of my hard disk, they all have Jake as
the main character. I've decided to change that. So folks, sit back
and get ready for,

ARIEL'S WORLD

Remember at all times that Ariel is
a) Two feet three inches tall.
b) One year old.
c) Telekinetic.
d) Telepathic.
e) Extremely intelligent.

	Ariel awoke, ready for a new day. Opening the gate that separated
her from the out side world, she walked out slowly but surely. Get
ready world, here comes Ariel Kranen Clawson. Striding out of the
bedroom, she found her father and his partner working on a car.
Deciding not to disturb them, she made her way to the kitchen.
Opening the fridge, she pondered over the contents. Milk and some
cookies would suffice. Taking them, she poured the milk into her bowl
on the floor and the cookies she took from the jar and set them down
on the floor. Closing the fridge and replacing the cookie jar lid,
she reached down and was about to take the cookies when a copper
colored paw snatched them away. Looking up, she hissed playfully at
her father. 
	'So this is why you're so heavy.' Jake replaced the cookies and
smacked Ariel's paw lightly.
	'Hmmph.'
	'No sympathy from me Ariel, until you stop abusing your powers.'
	'Meanie.'
	'I mean it Ariel.'
Ariel laughed at herself and started to lap up her milk. She was
reaching the age at which she could stand, but she still preferred
all fours.
	Later, Ariel leapt onto the couch and turned on the television.
Flipping through channels with the remote, she settled down to watch
The Flintstones. Halfway through the episode, she heard an argument
in the salvage yard outside. Switching it off, she jumped off the
couch and landed neatly on her paws. Running towards the yard, she
saw her father and uncle Chance having a fight with Burke and Murray.
She saw Burke give her father a punch on the jaw, and her rage burned
within her. Concentrating, she turned the ignition key in the dump
truck.
	'What the..' Murray said.
	'Our truck!'
Ariel brought the truck backwards, out of the yard and onto the road,
where it crashed into an Enforcer Cruiser approaching the yard.
	'Ooops.' Ariel giggled as she saw, of all people, Commander Feral
get out of the car.
	'Burke and Murray. You are going to have a serious pay cut.'
	'But, but Commander..'
	'I don't want to hear it. You probably left the hand brake off
and let the truck roll out of the yard, straight into my car.' Feral
turned and took out a celphone from his jacket. Jake and Chance went
to take a look at his car. From the lobby, Ariel could see Chance
shaking his head, and her father talking to Feral about the car.
Burke and Murray were discussing something in the far corner of the
yard. Smiling furiously, Ariel went back to the TV, wondering if
Jonny Quest was on…


	Ariel looked at the time and decided that it was time for lunch.
Jumping up onto a chair, she straightened her back and picked up the
sardine sandwich. As she ate, she listened to Jake's conversation
with Chance.
	'Burke and Murray are sure gonna pay for this. I wonder how it
happened though…'
	'I don't have a clue' her father lied, winking at Ariel. She
smiled, and finished her sandwich.
	'Excuse me.' Ariel said as she jumped off the chair and bounded
off to Jake's room. The library awaited.
	Jake had a surprisingly large collection of books stored away in
his cupboard. Opening it, Ariel took out one she had wanted to read
for a long time, but had been stuck on Treasure Island. She opened it
and started to read.
	'Call me Ishmael. With little or no money…..'


	Ariel noted she was at page twenty-two, and closed the book.
Replacing it in the drawer, she stretched, noting the satisfying
cracks she felt in her spine. Yawning, she headed back to the dining
room, where she heard an Enforcer Cruiser coming into the yard. To
Ariel, that meant only one thing. 
'Mother!' She cried as she bounded up into Sami's lap, causing her
mother to drop her file. Sami hugged her back, then put her down and
picked up the file.
'I missed you mother.'
'I missed you too, honey.'
Sami tucked the file neatly under her arm and picked up her daughter.
Putting her over her shoulder, Sami walked into the living room where
Jake was making halibut stew. Sami put Ariel down on a chair. Jake
scooped up the stew into plates and then brought them over to the
table. Ariel then realized how hungry she was and ate up, licking her
plate clean. She asked for dessert, but was told to wait for everyone
else. That was alright. Ariel was patient.
	'So, Sami, how much is an average Enforcer Cruiser?'
	'About thirty thousand, but it's provided by the Enforcers once
you get up to Lieutenant. Why?'
Chance was trying very hard not to laugh and Jake stifled a giggle as
he came up with his next question.
	'Felina, how much is your Uncle's Cruiser?'
	'What are we doing, Q&A with Riz Khan?'
	'Just answer, how much is your uncle's Cruiser?'
	'Around fifty thousand, with all the upgrades and tinkering he's
done with it.'
Jake turned to Chance.
	'How much do Burke and Murray earn?' 
	'About two hundred monthly.' Chance was still trying very hard
not to laugh.
	'With fifty percent off, that means, fifty months, which is,
About four years paying off their debt to Commander Feral.
	'What about?'
	'His Cruiser.'
	'What about his Cruiser?'
Chance could not help himself any longer. Pounding the table, he
burst into hysterical laughter. Sami cocked an eyebrow at him.
	'What's so funny, Jake?' Sami found herself asking.
	'Go take a look in that pile outside.' 
Sami and Felina went there and came back in a couple of minutes.
	'THAT was my uncle's Cruiser? That pile of junk, my Uncle's
Cruiser?'
	'Yep.'
	'What happened, a dump truck ran into it?'
	'Erm, you could say that.'
Ariel was so hysterical with laughter, she excused herself, running
off back to her cot. When she reached it, she fell on the floor and
burst into rapturous laughter at the set-up she had created.


Ariel never slept until she wanted to, another trait she had picked
up as a dragon. She estimated that it was about eleven o' clock.
Suddenly, she heard a rustling in the bed beside her.
'Sami?'
'Hmmmm?'
'How was your day?'
'Terrible. First the crime in MK City rises to astronomical levels,
and then seventeen different criminals bust out of seventeen
different jails all at the same time. It was like they synchronized
it or something.'
'Really? Let me make you feel better.'
Ariel heard more rustling and the sound of passionate kisses coming
from above her. Flipping a mental coin, she decided to leave her
parents alone. Slowly, she drifted off to sleep.