May Book Contest #3

Precie's at it again! And I can't resist a contest where the winner is drawn out of a hat - it significantly increases my chances!

So here's the info:

This week's theme: Novelty

This week's contest assignment: Make of this week's theme what you will. 500 words max.

Deadline: Monday, May 26 at 11 pm Eastern

So here's my effort - sorry no wee-wee this time.


Novelty

Her footsteps echoed as she walked in her flip-flops down the tiled entrance hall to the kitchen. A brief scan showed her that it was exactly as she’d left it going to bed the night before. Pristine. The tea towel she’d unfurled from the drawer, hung unstained on the rail next to the sink and the dishcloth she’d rinsed in bleach after dinner the previous evening had no chocolate powder caked onto it. Walking across to get the kettle from the stove, the ceramic floor did not crunch from discarded crumbs and her feet did not stick to orange juice poured with too much vigour from the carton.

She breathed deeply filling her lungs with peace and quiet before exhaling a loud sigh and filling the kettle to make the first cup of tea of the day. Her brew in hand she wandered to the office, cranked up her MAC and sat down to write undisturbed for the first time in twelve years.

Two Chapters left. Tie up loose ends. Resolve crises. Happy ever after? Maybe..... but then it would be done. Her dearest friend of many, many months would evolve into something else – a creature in need of criticism, of judgement. It had already grown beyond its pot, becoming straggly. The fierce bloom it developed began to discolour because she’d let it grow uncontrolled. It cried out to be pruned. She just needed a conclusion.

Two more chapters.

The blank page that loaded on her screen pulsed expressionless begging for purpose. Staring forward she placed her fingers on the keyboard and felt around until she located the bump on the F key with her left index and the J key with her right. The notes she made the evening before were long forgotten as she depressed the keys slowly, deliberately, forming words, dragging them into order, permeating the page with meaning. The tea lost its heat and the morning dragged on till noon as she pressed on.

There was no smile when at last she turned her computer off. No sense of relief or joy. She picked up the bag in the hall and headed straight to her car, pausing only to pick up her mobile phone and turn it on. As she sat into her car it began to ring.

“Hey Babe! Yeah - just put it to bed. Happy? Am I ever? The edit’s going to be a killer.” She swapped ears to free her right hand to turn the ignition. “Thanks for taking the kids away and giving me the space to get on with it. It’s been bloody quiet. Yes I know, I know that’s what I asked for and I needed it. I really did! But I’m looking forward to seeing you guys again. I’m not waiting for Thursday, I’m on my way to join you - I’ll be there in two or three hours. Yeah the quiet was nice at first but let’s just say . . . the novelty wore off.”