Chapter 1 – Arriving Home + Accepting 

Writing style longer prose

There was little point in hiding it I was worried to go and start living again. I hadn’t enjoyed the drive back to Greyton the car was too full and I couldn’t see anything out of the window, relying on my mirrors makes me nervous. The traffic crawled into the suburbs as the new mini-roundabout blocked up the old system. I knew this was final stretch to the new house and every fiber of my body tried to pull me away. I don’t want to go home, to much has changed. The SatNav startled me as she insists that I make a right turn ahead, following her guidance I turn into a street full of new builds. Plain white concrete squares with glass cutting into them, lifeless and dead buildings. Just a little further along SatNav congratulates me on my journey I feel somewhat relieved that I didn’t crash the car then realisation hits that I have to approach this new door and make it my home.

 

I sit in the car staring at this new house, the house glares back asking why I’m intruding and I stare blankly back at the new build. It has no life. We sit staring at each other, wondering who we will be after accepting this change.

 

numb

 

The car is packed to the gutters and I’m tired. Nothing makes me want to go home, I fight against it and have been for the last 6 weeks of summer before my tenancy is up and I

 

Chapter 1 – Arriving Home + Accepting 

Writing style short story (almost like a plan for a longer narrative) YES/NO just indicates that you have a choice at this part.

I pull into my parents drive with my car loaded to the ceiling. The house glares at me asking why I’m intruding and I stare blankly back at the new build. It has no life. We sit staring at each other, wondering who we will be after accepting this change.

 

I wait to see movement in the front window, hoping someone is in. YES/NO

 

Tumbling out of the car onto the drive I make my way to the front door. The red paint warns me away as I go to press the doorbell.

 

I wait as the door opens.

 

The tired face of my Dad greets me and he smiles sadly as I give him a hug “Time to bring you home.” he offers. YES/NO

 

I cradle the goldfish bowl as I move Tails from the front seat into the house while Dad opens the boot and hauls the heavier items out of the car. We stack the boxes in the hallway, squeezing past as Dad leads the way round the rest of the house.

 

The rooms are hollow, empty of comfort with corners stacked with boxes yet to be unpacked. I start with my room slowly adding personality into the whitewashed cell.

 

I fill the shelves with boxes of rubbish I feel I should be attached to and put up the tatty posters left over from university, Dad calls from the other room as I find a stack of photos. YES/NO

 

Calling back, I spend a couple of minutes going through the photos. Some I remember and some I don’t.

 

Heading into the kitchen I see Dad trying to work the oven, smoke bursting from the door and flooding the ceiling. Quickly closing the doors and opening the windows I find the extractor fan and the smoke settles.

 

“I’ll cook, it’s OK.”

 

Sitting at the table we stare at the food waiting on ceremony for something.

Dad looks up “Have you thought about what you want to do?”

“I’ll work that out tomorrow,” I muster.

“Take your time  it’s not going to be normal for a while.”

I look up, “Yeah, there’s too much missing.”

 

I head into my room and put up the pictures.

END

Chapter 2 – Tidying Up – Anger

 

Forcing me into another day sunbeams trample over my face. I will myself to get up. Making my way to the kitchen, I slump onto the hard plastic which calls itself a chair. The air stiffens as I gaze outside at the patronising blue sky, it’s going to be a lovely day.

 

I sit deciding what the point of today is, to brace the good weather or hide inside. YES/NO  

 

Slithering into the lounge I wait. Silence. Nothingness wraps itself around the house dragging me safely away from the sunlight. Why has Dad left me like this? I don’t need time alone with nothing to do. Not even a note has been left.

 

I notice the dishes clumped in the corner, I can’t stand it. How has the house been left in such a state, it’s not like Mum will do it. Has he never learned how to clean, this is unbelievable! YES/NO

 

I hunt down the piles of dishes that have accumulating in clusters all around the house. Dumping them in the sink to soak, I start scraping the grease off the kitchen work surfaces. This house clearly hasn’t been cleaned for the entire six weeks of its occupancy. How?

 

The door slams shut.  YES/NO

 

Dad drags himself into the kitchen.

 

I start on him, “You haven’t looked after the house. How can you  live here, don’t you know how to look after yourself? One little thing and everything falls to pot.”

His worn face breaks into a smile “Thank you for doing the cleaning”

 

I scowl. It’s not fair.

 

“Shall I make tea tonight?” he suggests. “We can talk this through on a full stomach.”

“I just don’t want to live in a messy house and you just don’t seem to understand how to keep it tidy.”

“It’ll be OK, we can work this out with a rota or something. Maybe finding a job tomorrow will keep your mind of things?”

“Fine, but next time leave a note when you go out.”

 

I head back to my room after tea, it really isn’t Dad’s fault I don’t mind helping with the housework.

 

END

 

Chapter 3 – Getting a Job – Bargaining

 

Rolling out of bed with the covers around me I face the photos on my wall. If I can be there for Dad maybe things will get easier. He left a note on the fridge “Good luck with today I’ll be back for tea.”

 

I turn to face the window, if I go outside I should take an umbrella. YES/NO

 

Maybe a bit later I’ll go out if the rain has passed. I start to empty the boxes that are cluttering the lounge, if only I had been around more for my parents. I sort the items into categories and putting them away I am left with a collection of misc in front of me.

 

Looking at the pile I wonder what to do with it. YES/NO charity shop or bin

 

Leaving the house with a suitcase of old things I head towards the high street. On the way I notice a sign in Mr Bart’s Tea Emporium, looking closer it’s a job vacancy. Dad will be pleased if I find something to do with my time, this could be it.

 

I continue down to the charity shop leaving the suitcase on their back doorstep, as I head back I stop outside Mr Barts. YES/NO

 

Inside the Tea Emporium I wander over to the polished wood counter. “Hi Mr Bart, are you still looking for someone to work here?”

“Humm? Can you speak a bit louder over these machines?”

I raise my voice “Do you need an assistant here?”

“Oh I don’t need any assistance I can handle these pots fine, but I could do with an assistant to help run this place.”

“Can I apply?”

“Come in tomorrow and we shall see what you can do”

 

The brass bell on the door chimes behind me as I leave to head back home.

 

Dad has arrived home before me and the smell of dinner fills the room. “Hey Dad, I’ve got a job interview for tomorrow.”

“That’s great.”

“I wish could just go back to how they were”

“New things are going to slot into place it’ll just take time.”

 

Staring at the ceiling with the bed sheets up to my nose, I don’t want to face tomorrow.

END

 

Chapter 4 – Pointless – Depression

 

The breakfast bowl taunts me with the sludgy cardboard called cornflakes daring me to eat all of it. I force them down grudgingly not wanting to go into work at Mr Bart’s today. There’s no point trying, I’m wading still water not getting anywhere.

 

Dad joins me passing over a cup of tea, “How’s work going?”

“It’s fine.”

“I shall see you later, I hope today goes well” The front door slams as Dad leaves for work.

 

I wait for the silence to fall and become deafening, staying here is not an option. I grab my lunch and head out does today have to be a work day? YES/NO

 

The walk is slow I pass little of interest. Did I always feel life was pointless? I try and remind myself of positive things like the job I have and how funny it is to work with Mr Bart and the misunderstandings.

 

The Tea Emporium is just ahead of me, I don’t have to go in. YES/ NO

 

The brass bell rings as I enter, Mr Bart looks up from his crossword puzzle. Smiling at me he beckons me into the shop.

 

“You can’t always be happy, but you can put a smile on your face.” Then whispers “The customers might think we’re haunted”

 

I smile and start to feel a little better, sometimes it feels I’m as easy to read as a birthday card, Mr Bart really is a little eccentric, haunted, ha.

 

Customer come and go and with the smile stuck to my face the day doesn’t drudge to slowly. It comes to an end and Mr Bart packs up some cake gives it to me to take home. YES/NO

 

I crumple on the way home, it has been a long day and all I want to do is curl up under a thick duvet. The smell outside the house is wonderful and as I step in I see Dad with a take away. Collapsing at the kitchen table I shovel the warm salty mixture into my mouth then call it a night.   
END

Chapter 5 – Normal Life – Acceptance

 

The alarm rattles of the bedside cabinet, I rush to scoop it off the floor and sooth its rattling. Scoffing down some marmite toast I grab the lunch I made earlier and head out the door. The sun is just starting to warm up the frozen earth I enjoy the fresh breeze.

 

Mr Bart hasn’t arrived at work yet so I go to set up the shop putting out cakes and making sure surfaces are clean. The door jangles and Mr Bart drifts in nodding good morning as he puts his hat round the back of the shop.

 

We get to work with the tea, rushing through the customers until it is suddenly the end of the day. I leave Mr Bart to do the last of the cleaning and money counting and head back outside. YES/NO

 

Heading straight home to put the oven on for dinner, I take a couple of minutes to put my feet up. Dad arrives and we eat tea together telling stories from our day at work. After dinner I quickly do some house chores then head back to the lounge.
Opening my laptop I start to look for a new job, I have done a degree so working in a tea shop seems like a great stepping stone, but maybe there is something else out there. Life is different since coming home from university but it does continue just in a slightly different way.