Dirty Tricks

I'm a night owl who taught herself to be an early bird. That didn't stop me from staying up late, however, especially if I had a good book open. There were so many times that I'd have my light on, and I'd say to myself, "Just one more chapter, and then I'll shut off the light and leave the rest for tomorrow. I swear I will!"

Some chapters just don't let you close the book. You have to know what happens next, or you'll never get to sleep. Someone slips off a cliff, or there's a shot heard in the dark. Footsteps echo through a supposedly empty hallway, and a child awakes up in fear. The chapter ends there. How can you possibly close the book there? Obviously, the light would stay on, and I would continue reading.

Poor Ellen. She called me after reading the last two chapters of my book. 

"How could you do that to me?" 

She had turned the page, but it was the end of the last chapter I had emailed to her. She'd have to wait to see what happens next. I left her with a cliff hanger. Oops. Leaving the light on wouldn't help. She had no more pages to turn.

Hey, Ellen. Remember how mean you could be to me when we were little kids? I'm the one who's laughing now! 

By the way—my husband says you'll get even somehow, and I'm sure you will eventually. I can hardly wait to see how you pull it off. This is so much fun! I love you, kid! Remember when you used to be older than me? You forgot to tell me when to stop counting.