Arnold was a very literal boy, taking everything that was said to word. On multiple occasions, when his mother said something like “walk to the shops and buy some pasta” he would walk there and never come back- as his instructions never specified him to. His mother found it humorous and light-hearted, however she would adapt her speech to ensure this would never happen again. It worked. Well until some five years later, on October 2nd 2018.
That day was met with overcast clouds, looming over the grounds, flooding the Arnold household with the same dullness that often complements a day like this. His mother was a sallow-faced and ancient woman; age and concentration filled every wrinkle in her fragile face. She was only forty-three, but work was putting a strain on her and her age, buffing it by a good twenty or so years. Like every mundane day like this, she was sat behind her computer, typing vociferously away, while listening to her son’s continuous whines about being bored. Eventually she stopped giving her son the cold-shoulder and told him to go and have a walk in the park. Arnold wanted his mum’s statement to be met with absolute certainty, so he asked: “do you mean park or dark mum”, where his mum replied with “mmmh” (so engraved in her work that she didn’t know what her son was saying).” Arnold, still blatantly confused, asked “so you mean dark,”, where his mum still replied with “mmmh”.
Filled with absolute confidence on what her mum meant, Arnold waited until dusk to fall to leave the confines of his house. A light breeze caressed his face, causing his dishevelled brown hair to lift upwards slightly, which opened curtains to trees and buildings glinted with gold, which was not previously visible due to the hair obstructing his vision. He tried to cherish the moment of the sun, finally showing itself against the clouds, when a sharp pain travelled up his spine. It was increasing in sheer force and magnitude by the second. He was forced to let out a scream, but it was shrill and unnatural. He looked behind him and saw a black bulldog sinking its fangs into his flesh. It was known later that the dog mistook the name of the owner’s son “Bill” for the word “kill” which the owner taught the dog in case of an emergency. Arnold finally figured out the power of words and the effect it can have on people.