Sinful Secret

I didn't mean to do it. I am not sure why I did, thinking about it now. Perhaps it was for pure self gratification. Perhaps it was the opportunity that lured me to sin. I feel guilty; blood on my hands, pulse racing like a hundred metre runner. I don't know how I am going to explain my behaviour. It felt so good to take advantage. Maybe once more. I don't think it will be noticed. Guilty until proven, that's what they say. I can always explain later or even after I return home. I must close the biscuit tin lid now.

A Four Lettered Word

Sitting at the computer, Lucy found herself staring at 5 letters; X, J, V, Z and Y. Letting out a sigh, Lucy clicked the button on her monitor and gazed into the reflection of herself in the dark shadow. This was the third loss in a week for her. The letters never came out right for Lucy, and another negative was marked against her Scrabulous score.

It was 4 weeks since Lucy had found Facebook. The twins had just started school, and she had found the new void left in her life difficult to fill. ‘You should get on that Facebook!’ Felicity had shrieked at her over a glass of Chardonnay, ‘I’ve made so many new friends, all from my own chair! It’s like going out, but without the leering men and the snide women’

‘I’ll try that!’ Lucy had replied, ‘It can’t hurt! I’m sure that Andrew has used that before’ Andrew was Lucy’s husband. At 39, he was 4 years older than her, and was the manager of a local Steel merchant. ‘I’m just relaxing, love! Winding down!’ he would pipe out from the soft leather chair that adjoined the steely computer desk. Lucy would come over to give her loving husband a steaming hot cup of tea to complete the relaxation process, and Andrew would continue to gaze at the screen, the words glowing on his face, his stare fixed on the lines that made no sense to Lucy. Andrew barely muttered ‘Thanks’, but Lucy didn’t mind. She knew that Andrew worked hard in the day, and that at the weekend he would spend time with the twins in the park, taking them to play on the swings, the slides, and everything that the boys could get their hands on! ‘Go and treat yourself!’ Andrew would say, ‘I’ll look after the kids, I’ve missed them all week! You deserve some “Lucy” time!’

Lucy didn’t go out much. She had some friends, but most of them seemed to always have ‘prior engagements’. Felicity was one such friend. Since her husband, John, had decided to work abroad, Felicity had decided that the strain on their relationship was too much, and wished him well in the future. She was ALWAYS dating. ‘He’s too tall, he was too loud, he was perfect, but WAY too young for me!’ Felicity would go on to joke with Lucy. This was a rare time that they had chance to catch up face to face; their ‘chat’ was usually conducted on the phone, or by text messages. It was extremely convenient. Felicity had made so many new friends on Facebook, and rekindled old school friendships at the same time. The school reunion party she organised was a blast! It was nice to see all those people who had made her teenage years exciting; old flames and girly pals included. Andrew hadn’t been keen on seeing some of Lucy’s old acquaintances, but he grudgingly went along to support his wife:

Andrew’s time at the same school hadn’t been that great. He had been a loner, and whilst being a prefect at school, Lucy and her friends had caused him grief during their first year there. Lucy had recognised him some years later in the local pub, but he was different; the life and soul of the party. Lucy felt obliged to talk to him, to apologise for the torment all those years ago, and the relationship flourished from there. Within 3 years, they had settled down.

Andrew’s job afforded them to be able to set up home in an old farm house in the nearby countryside. This cut Lucy off from some of her friends, but she was close enough to be able to meet people in town. When the kids came along, Lucy was cut off more, but this didn’t bother her as they kept her busy, and she enjoyed being a mum.

It had been 5 weeks since the beginning of the school term, and after Felicity had suggested Facebook, Lucy had become more and more engrossed with the social networking the site offered. She had even managed to track down some of her favourite celebrities. The feeling of power that this gave her spurred her on to do more; but it was the games that she preferred. Scrabulous was ideal for her to pass the day. She enjoyed the challenge that this gave her, and more and more she found that the day was too short, filled with taking the kids to and from school, inter-twined with the games. It was a Friday morning, and Lucy had just come back from the school run. She went into the study, and turned the monitor on. To her surprise, the computer was already logged on. ‘I must have left this on, I’m glad that Andrew didn’t find out!’ Lucy thought, as this was often the source of tension between the two, with Andrew being committed to saving the Earth’s resources (and also his money!)

Lucy struggled to find the Scrabulous application. ‘I’m sure it was here’ she puzzled, ‘maybe its just teething problems’. Lucy installed it and was soon playing her favourite past-time. In the bottom right hand corner, Lucy noticed there was a green light. She remembered that she could use Facebook to chat. Feeling lonely, she clicked on the chat application, and looked at who was online. There was one name that stuck out from the list – it was Felicity. ‘I haven’t seen Fliss for ages!’ she smiled, and then clicked on her name.

‘Hi Fliss!!!!’ she typed.

‘Hi!!!’, came back the reply.

‘Its been ages!!!!!!!’ Lucy typed

‘I know!!!’, Felicity replied, ‘I’ve missed you’

‘I’ve missed you too’ Lucy wrote back, but as she was doing this Felicity continued to type

‘…….shall I meet you in the Park this Sunday? I’ll bring the kids, and you can bring the twins.

Lucy will never…………’

At this point, Lucy felt sick. She was talking to Felicity, so why was she being talked about. She then realised that some of the names on the chat list weren’t familiar to her. Looking at the top of the page, she clicked on ‘Profile’, and within a split second, Lucy was staring at a picture of her husband – she was on Andrew’s profile!!!! He had Felicity as one of his friends, not particularly strange, but the conversation wasn’t what she would have expected. Filled with calm anger, she continued the conversation:

‘That sounds fine. Lucy loves the time that she has free. I can’t believe its lasted all this time’ ...Lucy typed as Andrew worked.

‘It’s our 6th month anniversary this weekend’ came back the reply. Lucy was welling up,

feeling tearful yet angry. She clicked off Facebook.

When Andrew arrived home from work, he found a note on the kitchen table:

‘Gone to my mothers, taken the kids, needed a short break for the weekend. Hope you don’t mind. Lucy xxxx’

Andrew smiled to himself ‘This weekend is going to be easier than I thought!’ He grabbed himself a beer from the fridge and sauntered into the study. He slumped into the brown leather chair, and switched the computer on.

Logging into Facebook, he saw that he had a message in his Inbox. ‘Felicity is sooo exciting’, he thought.

Clicking on to the message, he found it was from Lucy:

‘Check your Wall’ it said. Simple, yet clear.

Clicking onto the Wall, Andrew noticed that his profile status had changed from ‘Married’ to ‘Single’.

The Wall left a bigger shock: ‘Andrew Hill is the biggest cheat on Facebook, and Felicity Reed is the cheapest tart alive’

Andrew had just become the latest victim of ‘being dumped by Facebook’. Sitting at her mothers, Lucy was content. It had been 3 months since her brave actions had led her out of a strained relationship. She sat with a smile on her face: Lucy had just made her highest score on Scrabulous!

Silent Night, Holy Night

The tension grows as the clock counts down. Harry, Tom and Emma are sitting down on the floor, staring at the clock, watching the hands tick down.

There is a feeling in the room, but the three inhabitants cannot quite put their finger on it. They have never quite felt like this before, despite being in this position previously.

Several people enter the room, bringing items in and collecting items to take away.

There is a flurry of activity in this small, but bright room.

The clock ticks down and Harry, Tom and Emma grow more nervous. The last time this had happened, there had been a catastrophic outcome, and none of the three intrepid inhabitants want the same result. It has to be different this time; they had felt failure and now wanted to taste the fruitions of success.

From outside the room, lots of noise starts to emanate; a loud noise that grew and grew, making each of the group come to the realization that their time was about to come. They were about to face their fear, and they were going to face it head on. They all start to get to their feet. Harry, Tom and Emma look at each other, making sure that they are ready to face whatever presents itself to them from beyond the darkness.

Cautiously, Harry, Tom and Emma walk towards the bright light in the distance. Eden Forest Primary Reception Nativity performance take two has just begun.

A Picturesque Life

It was a quiet morning. Jack had been awoken by the sounds of the starlings rustling in his loft. He knew this was a menace, but he felt strangely comforted by the sounds of the birds scurrying in the space above him.
Outside, the sun stood proudly in the pale blue sky. Not even hugged by a single cloud, the sun blazed in all its glory above the green pastures below.
Jack’s farmhouse was situated amongst the rolling fields of England’s Garden. He had long been proud of being able to live breathing the cleanest of air, away from the hustle and bustle of the Big City.
In the fields surrounding the farmhouse, Lambs bleated, taking their first steps with their brothers and sisters, suckling with their mothers and growing stronger by the second. In the Hen house, Chicks squawk, with the cracking of their egg shell haven as they burst into the world, ready to start their life.
This reassured Jack, although it had been a long time since he had seen any of this, what with the accident taking away his sight. ‘Who needs two eyes?’ thought Jack. ‘It’s only a number’.

Helpful Heroes

It seemed just another winter that had come early. They all seem to come early these days, reminiscent of my own childhood. Five foot deep snow, drifting into each cold corner. For a child, there is no greater pleasure better than waking up and drawing back the curtains to see the outside covered with velvety, pure-white snow. I tell a lie, there is one pleasure greater than that – making your own foot prints in that fresh snow, and turning round to see the progress that you have made; like making those first steps on the Moon.

However, it is from this pleasure that we take so much pain, and this situation is one that that could only exist in a human world; the idea of a race who could possibly be as ‘human’ as us is something that we would struggle to comprehend.

Out in the village, the brilliant white snow glistens in the early morning sun. Nightfall brought on the heaviest snows of the season so far, and all that separates the ground from the sky is the swirling white smoke from the chimneys of three houses of Hastenlet, a small Hamlet in the Cotswolds.

Kate stands at the window in her kitchen, gazing out onto her vast back garden. Having moved to Hastenlet two years ago, Kate had left behind the hustle and bustle of Birmingham with Pete. She had built an idyllic life since taking the world of Event management by storm. The profits afforded by their success allowed them to distance themselves from the day to day running of their company, and allowed Kate to paint her landscapes, and Pete to renovate the old Barn on their land.

As they cuddled in front of their log fire, the harshness of the February winter weather was long forgotten, and their discussions on family was taken that step further and made reality.

Who would have thought that the same harsh weather would be upon them some nine months later. Kate was awfully proud of her life, but there was a little worry that had started to entwine itself and raise its head at the most inopportune moments. Today, Kate was officially ‘overdue’ ; her library books had been given back the last time the van struggled down the long , windy roads. But this was something more serious. Harry, the child being nurtured in Kate’s body was showing no sign of announcing himself to the world.

As Kate was reaching for a glass from the cupboard, she felt a twinge in her stomach. She had felt these before, but the pain lingered a little longer this time. Cautiously she levelled her body out to normal and turned the tap on the sink, letting the water run cool. Water was Kate’s vice – no strange cravings such as charcoal or pickled onions and jam, but water. Running to the toilet was no problem – the cottage had three bathrooms, and crucially one was right next door to the utility room leading off the kitchen.

Kate was used to this journey, and she trod wearily through the utility room when she felt the pain again. She had never had the pain in such quick succession. Kate had barely made it to the bathroom when a sharp pain made her crumple into a heap on the floor. Leaving the pain to subside, she tried to get up, and found her hands on the cold, wet floor. Kate was puzzled, but as the recognition swept through her facial features, she had the realisation of being alone. Pete had been stranded in Birmingham, unable to drive back through the snow, and having to seek refuge in the Hyatt Regency (nothing less, of course!)

Unable to move, Kate started to shout. By a stroke of luck the window in the utility room had been left ajar, keeping all the moisture out from the washer and the drier that seemed to constantly be turning.

But what was the use – there were only two other houses, and both of those were unoccupied. Kate was really in a predicament, and unable to move, in dire straits. Looking round, she could see her mobile on top of the washing machine. Ten metres feels like from here to the moon when you are unable to move, and Kate was struggling. Lying on the floor, contemplating what to do next, she heard a whirring noise. The washer and drier had completed their cycle five minutes previously, so what was this? Feeling round with her hand, Kate grabbed a wooden door stop. This was her only chance – the thought that went passing through her head as she flung it with all her might at the nearest window.

There was an almighty crash and shards of brilliant white light covered Kate, and then silence.

~

Machines beeping, the sound of chattering, all came together when Kate opened her eyes. Dazed and unaware of these strange new surroundings, she tried to sit up, but instantly fell back into the soft pillows that surrounded her.

A woman in a dark blue uniform came over to her.

‘Hello my love. Do you know where you are?’ the lady spoke softly at Kate

Kate knew where she was – she recognised the surroundings, the cleanliness and the sterile nature of the room.

‘How did I get here’? Kate quizzed the softly spoken stranger, ‘I was on the floor’

‘You have Mr Jenkins to thank’ the stranger smiled.

Kate didn’t know a Mr Jenkins, but then her thoughts turned to the whirring noise; the last thing she remembered before waking up.

Mr Jenkins was a farmer from the next village. He was helping the local GP visit patients who had become trapped at home.

‘My tools are useless in this weather, but my equipment can be put to good use’ Mr Jenkins had told the GP earlier, answering the plea he heard on the radio – becoming one of the Helpful Heroes of the Cotswolds.

The Spirit of Christmas - My First Short Story

As Christmas draws near, in the shadowed corner of a dark room sits a lonely character. Head in hands, solemn in appearance.

A closer look shows that the forlorn figure is male. Photos and pieces of paper are scattered round him, words running together into one.

'It's all my fault' I hear him whisper under his breath, over and over.

One piece of paper stands out. Its more pictures than words, but I can see 'Daddy' clearly. On the same piece of paper there is a family of three drawn - next to Daddy is Mummy, and between them is a small child with a smiling face, wearing the largest grin I have ever seen.

Next to the tear stained letter is an official looking document – 'Leave Granted' in big red letters embossed across the hard to make out text on the page.

'If only the weather could change......snow.......go.....' Something I have heard a lot of recently, but this person is surrounded by heat. 'This is going to take some working out' I think to myself slowly.

As my snow globe takes me outside the room, I see sand and wasteland, but no reason to change the weather.

Back into the room, I see a name tag on the males clothes – Sgt. Miles. I turn to Mr Claus and say 'It's time we speak with Mother Nature - we have a very important person to bring Christmas to'.