43. ZZZZZZZAP!
Amy’s curiosity is piqued by that metal rod. She wanders over to give it a closer look. As she approaches she notices a small bolt of electricity arc between the bottom-most ring and the floor. “Ah-ha!” Amy thinks smugly to herself, “I knew I saw lightning earlier!” She looks more closely at the rod. It just looks so cool and futuristic!
“I wonder what would happen if I touched it…” Amy thinks to herself. She reaches out gingerly and slowly, slowly moves her finger toward one of the metal donuts.
ZZZAP! “Eeek!”
A small spark of electricity flies out and jabs her finger. It gives Amy a start, but it feels strangely exciting. “That was kinda fun!” she thinks. “I wonder if I can do anything else with this thing…” She decides to try kicking it. This time a bolt zaps her toe.
ZZZAP!
Amy doesn’t feel anything through the insulated sole of her hiking boot. She wonders what else she can do. She spies a small warning label on the wall near the rod. She walks over to read it. It’s a series of pictograms. The first depicts a hand next to the rod, with an electrical bolt between them. Both are in a large NO sign. The second pictogram shows a shoe next to the rod, again with an electrical bolt between them, again inside a NO sign. The third and final pictogram shows a human head, tongue outstretched, approaching the rod. A bolt connects the rod to the tongue. Again, everything is contained in a big NO sign.
“Well! I certainly wasn’t in danger of licking that rod!” Amy thinks to herself. She begins walking back to her cot. As she sits down, though, the only thing she can think about is licking the rod. “I licked batteries once or twice when I was a little girl. It gave a fun little buzz. That didn’t hurt me… and touching and kicking the rod didn’t really hurt me… And I HAVE already done two of the three things, it seems like a shame not to complete the set…”
After arguing with herself for five minutes, Amy resolves to go in, give the rod a quick lick, then go to bed. As she walks toward the rod she experiences the giddy thrill of the forbidden. Standing next to the device, she sticks out her tongue, closes her eyes, and bends slowly forward toward the ball at the end of the rod…
ZZZZZZZAAAAAAAAPPPP!
A great current of electricity flows from the rod, through Amy’s tongue, and into her head. Every electrode in her brain fires at once. Her hair stands on edge, dances momentarily from the flow of electricity, then blackens. Finally, after what seems like minutes but was actually only a few seconds, Amy straightens up, ending the flow of electricity from the rod. Amy’s singed hair slowly collapses into dust, starting from the tips and working down to her blackened scalp. Her ears disintegrate, sending her glasses crashing to the floor with them. Her head shrinks as layers of it begin crumbling off her, until all that remains is a blackened lump the size of a baseball. Her milky white eyes blink three times, then Amy collapses to the floor.
That was a bad move, Amy! Now you’re a real pinhead!
Amy is in no condition to continue this adventure or her life.