(no subject)
Colin usually didn't have much to do with the bookshelf. He just wasn't what his Auntie Barbara called a reader or an intellectual mind. He wasn't even quite sure what the second one meant, and usually his Uncle John and even Mark would mutter under their breath that he couldn't read. That wasn't true. He could read. He knew because it'd taken him a very long time, much longer than the other kids he'd gone to school with, but he had learned how. Sometimes it took him longer, and sometimes he had trouble with big words, but with enough time he could usually sound them out. He just didn't read because he didn't like it. He got picked on when he tried to anyway, and he knew that while he could he wasn't good at it, so there really wasn't much point anyway. His dad had taught him that. If something wasn't worth the time or effort, just don't do it. That's why his dad didn't have a job and hadn't worked since he and Mark had been young. His mum said it was because his dad was lazy. His dad said it was because he'd done his work and there wasn't no point in doing it anymore. Colin sometimes thought maybe both of them were right, but he didn't really know, and it wasn't any of his business.
But he'd been more curious about the bookshelf lately. He'd noticed, some time ago, that people got more than just books off of it. There were also round metal tins, like the kind that his grandmother kept in her attic years ago. He'd also seen the projector. When one day he'd seen the metal tins taken, stuff taken out of them and then it all hooked up, he'd even gotten the idea. He just had decided it was better that he mind his own business and stay away. The people probably wouldn't want him asking questions, and he wouldn't remember how do it himself even if they told him. It was just a better plan to stay to himself, sit on his sofa and play his game. He'd been doing a lot better with his game. He still liked the green button best and the sounds it made, but now the little man on the screen didn't die as often.
When the room had cleared out a bit, he'd gone up to the bookshelf himself to look at the tins. it might not hurt to see. At first he didn't even touch, he'd caught himself trailing his finger under a title so he could read it and stopped, just in case, but nobody seemed to notice or care, and he got a bit bolder, picking one off. Then another. And he tucked another one under his arm. He didn't think he recognised the names of any of them, but that didn't matter. He just took them over to the sofa by the projector and the big screen and set them down. Then fetched a couple more. He wasn't sure what he was going to do with them, but he did know that he missed being able to watch films. He'd never seen them that much, mostly just on the telly, but he thought maybe if he found one that someone else would like, then maybe they wouldn't mind helping him set it up. And even if they did, he could just leave.
Lowering himself down on the sofa he picked up the nearest tin and held it carefully, staring down at the title and then at the projector.
[[Come keep the boy company! Tags might be a little slow, catching up on my slack from the past week. >.> Have at! Pick any movie you like. :D]]
But he'd been more curious about the bookshelf lately. He'd noticed, some time ago, that people got more than just books off of it. There were also round metal tins, like the kind that his grandmother kept in her attic years ago. He'd also seen the projector. When one day he'd seen the metal tins taken, stuff taken out of them and then it all hooked up, he'd even gotten the idea. He just had decided it was better that he mind his own business and stay away. The people probably wouldn't want him asking questions, and he wouldn't remember how do it himself even if they told him. It was just a better plan to stay to himself, sit on his sofa and play his game. He'd been doing a lot better with his game. He still liked the green button best and the sounds it made, but now the little man on the screen didn't die as often.
When the room had cleared out a bit, he'd gone up to the bookshelf himself to look at the tins. it might not hurt to see. At first he didn't even touch, he'd caught himself trailing his finger under a title so he could read it and stopped, just in case, but nobody seemed to notice or care, and he got a bit bolder, picking one off. Then another. And he tucked another one under his arm. He didn't think he recognised the names of any of them, but that didn't matter. He just took them over to the sofa by the projector and the big screen and set them down. Then fetched a couple more. He wasn't sure what he was going to do with them, but he did know that he missed being able to watch films. He'd never seen them that much, mostly just on the telly, but he thought maybe if he found one that someone else would like, then maybe they wouldn't mind helping him set it up. And even if they did, he could just leave.
Lowering himself down on the sofa he picked up the nearest tin and held it carefully, staring down at the title and then at the projector.
[[Come keep the boy company! Tags might be a little slow, catching up on my slack from the past week. >.> Have at! Pick any movie you like. :D]]