Timmy

He sat and stared at them with clenched lips. They were revolting. He would not eat them. Never. Looking from the outside in, one couldn't possibly imagine why Timmy would resist eating his beans. The six billion watched on their televisions, on the multitude of screens at Best Buy, on the Time Square megatron...All Timmy needed to do was eat one bean and the human race would be spared from certain destruction. Timmy's older brother Tom was aware of this, and treaded carefully in the quiet, secluded room.

"ZOOM! IT'S A FLYING SUBMARINE!" he would yell as he took the been in his hands, running it around the room. Timmy would smile and laugh, raising his hands in the air. But as soon as the submarine approached his lips, they would slam shut like an iron blast door. The precise moment silliness turned to seriousness, Timmy could be bothered to do nothing but sit obstinately.

Secretly, of course, Timmy actually liked beans. But what he liked better was watching Tom make a fool of himself, and on this day, Tom was particularly entertaining. The bean was bounced, paraded around, dressed in barbie clothing, affixed with a pope costume. But after several hours, Timmy noticed Tom was sweating. There was a sort of terror in his eyes that Timmy hadn't seen before just behind the smiles and foolishness. The almost imperceptible hue of fear was slightly curious to Timmy at first, and then became mysterious. "What is going on" he thought, as the caped bean was catapulted across the room.

Seeing Timmy unresponsive, Tom noticed that time was running short. He began to plead with Timmy. Please Timmy, please, eat it for me. Timmy's smile turned blank.

Eat it for me Timmy...

AAAAAAAGHAGHGHAGHGAHGHHGHGGGGGGGGH! Timmy exploded in a fit of crying.

EAT THE BEAN TIMMY! PLEASE, FOR THE SAKE OF THE HUMAN RACE, EAT THE DAMN BEAN!

AAAAAAAGHAGHGHAGHGAHGHHGHGGGGGGGGH! The crying intensified.

Tom waited for Timmy to stop.

Tom even took Timmy by the shoulders and gently begged "please, please eat the bean, it's our only hope." Nothing. Now it was an expression of pride. He would not break his resolve. Nothing would ever, EVER, open Timmy's mouth.

The aliens quietly evaporated Tom.

Alone in the room, Timmy picked up the bean and munched on it, subsequently finishing his plate.