snakes and ladders.....

The game of their lives...

"C,mon, give me a six" whispered Bill as he juggled the dice in his hand. He dropped it and watched as it bounced once, twice, three times on the board until it came to a stop.

YES.

He couldn't believe it. There sitting proudly on top was a six. He moved his counter along the board to the foot of a ladder. It would take him nearly all the way to the finish. He just needed a four to win now. He looked at the others as he picked up the dice, cupped it in his hand and blew on it. "Please give me a four" he whispered to the dice, "and not a two". If he got a two now, it would send him nearly all the way back to the start, down the biggest snake on the board. Don't think about it. Just roll a four. He shook the dice for what seemed like an eternity.

"Just roll the damn dice Bill" said Chris, his older brother, perhaps a little too loudly, "I'm getting bored and hungry".

Bill looked at Chris, then at his two sisters, his two older sisters. He was the youngest and all his life, as far back as he could remember, they always thought they were better than him. Always getting the best things. Never showing him any love.

Now, just this one time, maybe the only time, he had this one chance to show them he was better than them, even if it was just a stupid game of snakes and ladders.

So, he took his time, shook the dice, blew on it, and begged for a four to roll and not a two.

He let the dice fall from his hand and everyone watched it roll and bounce. It took what seemed like an eternity as it rolled. Finally, it hit the side of the box, showing a four and Bill was about to celebrate then it bounced again and ever so slowly, it stopped. A two was glaring up at him, meaning a long slide down the snake.

"Way to go loser" taunted Chris, "watch your butt on the way down".

"Yay, now I'm not last anymore" laughed Katie, pointing her finger at Bill.

"Knock it off you two" said Susie, looking sadly at Bill, then with a mischievous glint in her eye, added" it's not HIS fault he can't throw a four. But, it also means I'm winning now, so maybe it WAS a good roll after all".

Throughout all this, Bill just sat there, looking at the dice, the stupid dice that could have helped him wipe the smug grins off their STUPID FUCKING FACES!!!

"FOR FUCKS SAKE" he shouted, "just for once, can't you be nice to me. What have I ever done to you three to make you hate me so much? What... I want to know". Bill had tears in his eyes, but he was damned if was gonna cry in front of his brother and sisters.

"Are you gonna cwy likkle baby", taunted Chris.

Katie looked at Bill and mimicked a baby rubbing its eyes and crying.

Susie just put her thumb in her mouth and started sucking it.

Bill saw red. He got the game and flung it in the air.

"FUCK YOU" he roared and this time he was crying, but these were tears of rage," I hate you, all of you, I wish you would all just disappear into the game and get eaten by the snakes and I would climb the highest ladder and watch and I would fucking cheer". Bill gulped in some air and let rip, " you Chris, Mr muscle man, look at my pecs, you're pathetic. Katie, Miss I'm so perfect with my false nails and shitty dyed hair and Susie, lovely Susie, the walking dustbin, eating everyones leftovers. You're supposed to be my family, people I look up to, not constantly running me down", he paused, "why, why do you hate me so much?".

All three looked at him, then at each other.

"Right", said Chris, "don't know bout you lot, but I'm starving".