The police and the slug

It was not a normal nursery day.

Miss Patel had said this several times.

“Today,” she announced, clapping her hands with the kind of energy that suggested Something Big was coming, “we have very special visitors.”

Barry looked up immediately.

Marmaduke looked up immediately.

“Are they bringing snacks?” Barry asked.

“No,” Miss Patel said.

“Are they bringing animals?” Marmaduke asked.

“No.”

Barry frowned. “Then what’s the point?”

Miss Patel smiled.

“The police are coming.”

There was a pause.

Barry blinked. “The real police?”

“Yes.”

“With the car?”

“Yes.”

“With the lights?”

“Yes.”

“With the sirens?”

“…Yes.”

Marmaduke gasped. “This is the best day ever.”

Outside, in the car park, everything was ready.

A police car.

Shiny.

Official.

Very important-looking.

Two officers stood beside it, smiling and waving.

Miss Patel lined the children up.

“Walking feet,” she said.

“Quiet voices.”

Barry nodded seriously.

Marmaduke nodded seriously.

They lasted approximately four seconds.

“LOOK AT THE CAR!” Barry shouted.

“I SEE IT!” Marmaduke shouted back.

Alfie was not there, but if he had been, he would have whispered, “Indoor voice.”

No one whispered.

The officers introduced themselves.

“This is our police car,” one said.

“It has blue lights and a siren.”

Barry’s hand shot up.

“Can it catch bad guys?”

“Yes.”

“Can it catch fast bad guys?”

“Yes.”

“Can it catch very fast bad guys?”

The officer paused. “…We try.”

Barry nodded. “Good.”

The other officer held up a pair of handcuffs.

“These are for keeping people safe.”

Marmaduke leaned over to Barry. “They look like bracelets.”

Barry nodded. “Serious bracelets.”

Miss Patel clapped again. “Everyone listening?”

Most of the children were.

Some of them were not.

Because—

In the corner of the car park—

Something had been discovered.

Barry saw it first.

“Look,” he whispered.

Marmaduke followed his gaze.

There, on the warm pavement, was a slug.

Not just any slug.

A slightly… unfortunate slug.

A half-baked slug.

Curled.

Still.

Suspicious.

Marmaduke crouched down. “Is it sleeping?”

Barry leaned in. “…I don’t think so.”

They both stared.

Very closely.

Very seriously.

Meanwhile—

Miss Patel was trying.

Very hard.

“Keep your hands to yourselves,” she said.

“Listen carefully.”

“Respect the officers, they are our guests today.”

She turned around.

Saw Barry and Marmaduke crouched in the corner.

“…Of course.”

“Barry,” she called.

No response.

“Marmaduke.”

No response.

They were deep in slug investigation.

“It might be a crime,” Barry whispered.

Marmaduke nodded. “We should tell the police.”

Barry looked at the slug.

Then at the officers.

Then back at the slug.

“…Yes.”

They stood up.

Walked over.

Very importantly.

Barry raised his hand.

“I have something to report.”

The officer smiled. “Yes?”

Barry pointed.

“There is a slug.”

There was a pause.

“…A slug?” the officer said.

“Yes.”

“It might be… not okay,” Marmaduke added.

The officer glanced at Miss Patel.

Miss Patel closed her eyes briefly.

“Thank you,” the officer said kindly. “We will… run some surveillance on the slug.”

Barry nodded. “Good.”

Marmaduke nodded. “It’s suspicious.”

Miss Patel clapped again.

“Everyone back!”

Reluctantly—

Very reluctantly—

Barry and Marmaduke returned.

But they kept looking back.

Just in case.

“Now,” the officer said, “would you like to hear the siren?”

There was a chorus of “YES!”

Except for one small voice.

“…No.”

Then another.

“…I don’t like loud.”

Miss Patel smiled gently. “It will be quick.”

The officer pressed a button.

The siren sounded.

Loud.

Very loud.

Unexpectedly loud.

There was a moment.

A tiny moment.

Then—

Chaos.

One child burst into tears.

Another covered their ears.

A third sat down dramatically and announced, “I don’t like this day.”

Marmaduke froze. “It’s very loud.”

Barry stood still. “…This is a lot.”

Miss Patel moved quickly.

“It’s okay!”

“It’s just a noise!”

“You’re safe!”

She turned to the officer. “Maybe just the lights?”

The siren stopped.

The lights flashed.

Blue.

Bright.

Much better.

Barry blinked.

“…I like the lights.”

Marmaduke nodded. “The lights are friendly.”

The crying slowly stopped.

The calm returned.

Mostly.

Some children still looked suspicious.

“Now,” the officer said, “who would like to sit in the car?”

Barry’s hand shot up.

Marmaduke’s hand shot up.

Every hand shot up.

Even the ones that had been crying.

They took turns.

Carefully.

Respectfully.

Mostly.

Barry climbed in.

Looked around.

Buttons.

Controls.

Temptation.

“Don’t press anything,” Miss Patel said immediately, in a warning tone.

Barry nodded.

“…I’m just looking.”

Marmaduke leaned in.

“…This one looks important.”

“Do not touch that,” Barry whispered.

“I won’t,” Marmaduke said.

They both stared at it.

Very closely.

Very thoughtfully.

Outside, the slug remained.

Still.

Mysterious.

Barry glanced at it again.

“…We should check on it later.”

Marmaduke nodded. “Yes.”

After the car, they looked at the uniform.

The hat.

The badge.

Barry tried on the hat.

It slipped over his eyes.

“I am the police,” he said.

“You can’t see,” Marmaduke pointed out.

“I can sense things,” Barry replied.

Miss Patel watched.

Tired.

Proud.

Slightly overwhelmed.

Finally, it was time to go inside.

“Say thank you,” she said.

“THANK YOU!” the children shouted.

The officers waved.

The car remained.

The slug remained.

The memories definitely remained.

Back inside, Miss Patel sat them down.

“What did we learn today?”

Barry raised his hand.

“Yes, Barry?”

“The police can help with slugs.”

Miss Patel paused.

“…Not exactly.”

Marmaduke raised his hand.

“The siren is very loud.”

“Yes,” Miss Patel said. “That is true.”

Another child said, “I didn’t like the noise.”

“That’s okay,” Miss Patel said gently.

Barry thought for a moment.

Then said, “The lights are the best bit.”

Miss Patel nodded. “That’s a popular opinion.”

Later, at home, Mum asked, “How was pre-school?”

Barry smiled.

“The police came.”

“That sounds exciting,” Mum said.

“It was,” Marmaduke added (he was still there, obviously).

“And there was a slug.”

Mum paused.

“…Of course there was.”

Dad looked up from his laptop.

“Did you learn anything?”

Barry nodded.

“Yes.”

“What?”

Barry thought.

“…Don’t press buttons.”

Dad smiled. “About time.”

“And sirens are loud.”

“Good.”

“And slugs are suspicious.”

Dad blinked.

“…I’ll take it.”

Alfie listened carefully.

“…This sounds chaotic.”

“It was amazing,” Barry said.

Marmaduke nodded. “Best day.”

And as the evening settled, one thing was clear:

The police visit had been educational.

Exciting.

Slightly noisy.

And just a little bit distracted—

By a very unfortunate slug that, for one brief moment, had nearly become the most important case of the day.