What's with the flashlight......? I'm kind of afraid to ask

This is a real conversation that happened between my dad and sister two seconds ago:

Emma: "Dad, can I use that flashlight?"


Dad: "What do you want it for, honey?"


Emma:"Uuuuhh...no reason...(Evasive voice)



Dad: "What? Just say so."


Emma: "Mmm--mmm!" (Whiningly)



Dad: "Emma, I just want to know why you need a flashlight. That's all."


Emma: "Never mind." (VERY grouchily)


Dad: "Why won't you ju-"


Emma: "NEVER MIND!!!!!!!" 


Ben(Innocently entering the room): "Hey, why DO you need a flashlight, Em?"


Emma: (Turns on him with her most viciously irritated scowl (which is pretty intimidating) and says:) "RRRRRRrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrRRRRRRRRrrRRrrRrRRR!!!"



Me: "C'mon, Em, just tell us! Please?"



Emma:  RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRrrrrrrrrrrrrRRRRRRRRRRRrrrrrrrrRRRRRRRR!!"



(Ben and I continue to pester her until she finally says:)

Emma:  "OKAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I WANT A FLASHLIGHT BECAUSE I NEED A CERTAIN GREEN MARKER FROM THE BIN AND THE REASON WHY I JUST WANTED YOU TO SAY YES WAS SO THAT YOU WOULDN'T LAUGH BECAUSE I WANTED A FLASHLIGHT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

The marker bin lives with the crayons on a shelf in my parent's room, which is almost always pretty dark.






(Stunned silence for exactly three seconds)




Ben (very quietly): "But then.....why couldn't you have turned on the lamp in there?"



Me: "Or taken the bin in here where it's so bright?"




Emma then leaves the room promptly, comes back clutching a green marker, sits quietly at the table, and silently starts coloring something.


And that's an example of a typical evening at our house.