A few familiar notes of a song had Elaine running from her bedroom to the living room, where the television set sat. “America's favorite family entertains you in the comfort of your own living room,” an announcer voiced over through a montage of clips of the family from various episodes.
The Show, “The Denny Hour”, is older than Elaine's father but they both enjoy watching it. While most of the gags in the sitcom were worn out even way back then, but the idealism of the fifties is what draws them in.
“The Denny Hour” consists of the antics of the Day Family. “Spend the night with the Days!” the original promos would broadcast across black and white television screens in America. The family consisted of Father, Mother, and Denny Day. White and non-nutritious like white bread.
Their world seemed to be confined within the white picket fences of their home. The biggest anxiety a child could possible face in this idealistic world is to have Spotty missing for a couple of hours.
Elaine wondered one day as the episode ended with family laughing about something yet again and the credits started to roll (Elaine had memorized everyone from the set designer to the Spotty's
trainer), how is it possible that this family of three fit inside the television set?
“Because we're little!” Denn y proclaimed when she asked him.
“Do you like living in the television? Do you travel to other tvs?” inquired Elaine through the air vent.
“It's all right. We don't travel to other places, just yours whenever our show comes on. Speaking of which, the show is almost over. I have to go now, talk to you tomorrow!” The little hand slide through the slot again to wave goodbye.
“Goodbye,” Elaine turned up the volume and watched until the last of the credits had rolled.
While Elaine was preparing for bed, her father was tracking the shipment of a high-definition, flat screen television. Elaine thought about asking her friend Denny if Spotty could slide through the television tomorrow. It would be fun to have a pet, sleepily thought Elaine, even if it's a little one.
As Elaine was about to step off the school bus the next afternoon, Tommy (the resident bully of said school bus) yelled out from the way back, “Hey, can you bring me your TV?” Then he laughed at his own obscure joke.
Elaine ignored it, as she usually did with Tommy's feeble attempts of friendship in the form of dumb jokes. But when Elaine stepped off of the school the next afternoon, she was confused to see the television at the end of her driveway, with a piece of paper duct taped to it that read, “FREE”, she understood what Tommy had meant.
Elaine ran inside with just one thought racing over and over inside her head, “What happened to Denny?”
Elaine opened the door and was greeted by a stream of profanities, unleashed by her father.
“Where's the receipt? The company sent me a faulty flat screen!” her father started kicking out the box it was delivered in.
Elaine was advised by her mother to go and stay in her bedroom for a bit.
Elaine tried to listen to some music but it was drowned out bywords such as, “smoke”, “fried”, “piece of crap”, and “shoddy”, provided by her father.
It wasn't until the third song in that Elaine remembered to check on her friends.
Elaine ran into the living, finding no television. Her father stepped into the house, dragging the old television set back in. “Sorry, kiddo, but we're stuck with this thing until the TV company sends us a replacement.”
Elaine ran outside to the end of her driveway, where the still smoking television sat against a garbage can.
The flat screen television was now partially cracked due to a man's large leather boot coming in contact with it. Elaine was scared but knew what she had to do.
She broke the remaining cracked pieces. The new television doubled as a mass tomb. Inside laid three little people plus the family dog, every little bone crushed. Elaine's father only managed to watch the opening credits to “The Denny Hour” before the television started to make a couple of funny noises. Four funny noises, to be exact. As soon as America's favorite family magically transported into the family's home via the flat screen as their show started, they were instantly flattened to death. Their blood was just beginning to cool down and dry.
A very small funeral service followed immediately. Elaine dug a small hole next to her hamster's burial spot and buried the family together as one nuclear family unit.
Name: Elaine Pace
Think: The people on the television are also inside the television.
Things: Three little people living inside a television.
Status: Fixed Pending As Is
Comments: Most of the details were taken care of by Ms. Elaine, as I found out upon my arrival.