Fiction: Be Careful What You Wish For……….
What would you do if you made a flippant wish and awoke the next day to find it had come true? Is perfection really all it’s cracked up to be and is the grass really greener on the other side? Caitlyn thought she knew what she wanted, and absolutely didn’t want going on in her family but who would they all be if all their flaws and imperfections were gone and Caitlyn finally had the family she thought she always wanted?
Caitlyn awoke to silence. She couldn’t hear a sound. That alone was more than enough to arouse her spidey senses. That’s what the twins called her ability to be able to just know when they were up to no good. Like the time they dressed up the cat as a baby and put him in the pram when they were 6. Or the time they raided her make up at 9 for the school disco. Caitlyn just knew this was one of those times.
It wasn’t just because she was up before them, although god knows that was a regular thing these days. It was just a feeling, a hunch. Call it a mothers instinct, but she just knew, you know. She padded over the brand new thick piled coffee coloured carpet she had had fitted last week to the wardrobe and threw on her yoga kit. Most days she skipped the yoga and went straight for the coffee and toast but the girls didn’t need to know that. Nor did her loyal readers who visited The Double Dose her family blog.
Caitlyn felt like she had been transported into the twilight zone. This feeling got heavier as she made her way down the hall to the girls room. Passing their shared bathroom Caitlyn was shocked to see drops of water on the floor indicating someone had been in there recently. As she raised her hand to open their pale grey, their insistence not her’s, bedroom door she noticed her hand was shaking. Taking a deep breath she ran her left hand through her black hair and gently eased the old wooden door open.
Nothing. Empty. Silence. Of course the furniture was still there but the girls weren’t. The beds were made perfectly thus defying her vivid memory of Maddie and Evelyn bitching at each other at 9.45pm last night when she went in there to put a stop to it. Caitlyn had no idea what started it but she definitely finished it. The beds were smooth. Evelyn’s pale grey and pink Parisian theme bedspread was smoothly showing off the Eiffel Tower through it’s middle. The muted blacks and greys, now faded from the light through the window, adorned Maddie’s bed in their jagged scene of the New York skyline. Both beds immaculate. Both missing their occupants this Saturday morning.
Caitlyn’s spidey senses heightened by the second, her nerves becoming more and more fraught and despite herself she remained calm and most importantly she stayed silent. Knowing her new carpets would muffle her footsteps she ran through a dozen or more scenarios in her head. Someone had broken in and taken the girls. No she would have heard them those screams could burst the sound barrier. They had an early morning appointment she had forgotten about. Possible. They had snuck out last night and hadn’t yet come home. She would bloody kill them if they had. But highly unlikely. The possiblities whirred through her head like a slideshow. A new scenario flipped into focus and she then discarded it and moved on to the next one.
She was so preoccupied she didn’t realise her bare feet had walked all the way to the kitchen. It was the smell of bacon that that snapped her back from the movie reel inside her head and her eyes took in the sight before her. Last nights takeaway dishes gone. The white marble worktops clean, in fact they were sparkling as was the floor. She could swear she could see herself looking back up from the floor. And there, on the island in the middle was the piece de resistance. In her new miniature vase, she had bought as prop for her photo’s, was a single white gerbera.
Caitlyn gasped as she saw her breakfast sat on the tray. Bacon medallions on brown with a splash of brown sauce in the centre she hoped and her new latte glass was playing host to her favourite Caramel Latte straight from her Tassimo. Her initial reaction was to grab her camera. To snap this screenshot of idyllic family life and preserve the memory forever whilst simultaneously sharing it to her 9000+ followers. But something rooted her to the spot. She could feel the hairs standing up on the back of her neck.
This, this was all too perfect. A little too staged and the girls? The girls weren’t here. Caitlyn’s mind started racing again the way it was prone to from time to time. Processing, searching, trying to find the answers. But she just couldn’t quite find what she was looking for. Her voice still eluded her as she spun on her heels and made a bee line for the lounge.
That’s were she found it. Stopped dead as if a force field was preventing her from going any further. Caitlyn stopped dead in her tracks and her hands flew to her mouth as her eyes took in the sight before her.
Dum, dum, duuuum. Welcome to part one of Be Careful What You Wish For. It has taken me 4 weeks and 6 rewrites to finally get the story I have been looking for. I hope you all enjoy it. The next part will be up to read soon hopefully. I don’t know how far this will take me or even what Caitlyn has just laid eyes on but I reckon it will be dramatic. This I am certain of because I love a bit of drama and if you read There’s Something I Need To Tell You you will know what I mean! As usual any feedback, constructive criticism is always welcome and feel free to leave your thoughts on what has happened in the comments. Thanks for reading 🙂
Ah finally got the time to read this. It is very intriguing! Hooked already! I’ll now go and read part 2, eek!! 🙂 x #KCACOLS
You need to write the next part asap, I hate being left hanging-i can’t cope! It’s so good I’m on tenterhooks! Thank you for joining #prettyinplaydough linky, please join next time so I can find your next instalment (no pressure! 😉 )
oooh, the suspense. I hope we find out more soon. Seriously I enjoyed reading this so I hope there’s plenty more to come. Thanks for linking to #PoCoLo and sorry it’s taken me a while to get here x
What did she find?? I am looking forward to reading more. Beautiful, suspenseful writing. #PrettyinPlaydough
Ooo leaving us in suspense. This had me feeling a bit chilled (in a good way)…you build the scene and Caitlyn’s emotions very well! #KCACOLS
What an amazing piece of writing hun! I am going to have to find out what she has found! You really are a talented lady! Thanks so much for linking up to #KCACOLS. We hope you come back again this Sunday xx
Oh very intriguing! Excellent piece of writing 🙂 Can’t wait for the next part! #kcacols
I want someone (whoever/whatever it may be!) to make me bacon on brown and a caramel latte for brekky too!! Add me into your story trace!! #kcacols
Loving it so far. Very readable. Keep it coming ……. #KCACOLS
Blimey! Talk about leaving us with a cliffhanger! This is brilliant – I really enjoyed it. Can’t wait to see your next instalment 🙂 Thank you for linking to Prose for Thought xx
Oooohhhh….I WANT MORE! Don’t leave me hanging like this. #bigpinklink
wow – this is fantastic! Completely drawn in and want to know what happens next – please tell me that you’ll write the next scene! #BigPinkLink
I am so intrigued. It reminds me of two of my favourite teen reads – Sweet Valley Twins meets Nancy Drew Mysteries. That is a compliment, honest, I LOVE cheesy teen books. And obviously much better written and funny. I love the gag about the carpet muffling her footsteps as she ran through different scenarios. I am new to your blog, but will HAVE to tune in for part two. #bigpinklink
Love it! Can’t wait for the next part. That’s how Charles Dickens started, by publishing his stories in weekly installments and then later as novels. That’s why his books are such page-turners. So when can we expect a novel from you Tracey? #KCACOLS
I loved There’s Something I Need To Tell You and you’ve got me hooked with this one too! Can’t wait to read the next part 🙂 #prose4t
Oooh! Can’t wait to find out what happens next! #prose4t
Oh I love your stories, and such suspense!!! #PoCoLo