BlogFestivus, Day Five: Seasons Change

Thanks for coming back to this year’s BlogFestivus writing challenge. Nine stories that are supposed to take inspiration from the nine reindeer on Santa’s sleigh. Today is Day Five – Comet.

Note: I’m a day late — just didn’t have it in me after Friday’s events. I’ll catch up and get back on track today and tomorrow.

Previous chapters: 1 2 3 4

5

Clarice sighed as she heard the front door close and the sound of footfalls on the walk.

There she goes again. Crap.

Something really had to be done about this. It was just getting out of hand.

“Daaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaad!!”

She heard her father tromping up the stairs.

“Yes, honey?”

“Sooo…” she drawled. “What’s going on with mom?”

“Hrmmm? Mom??”

“She keeps “going for walks”,” she whined, fingering airquotes. “To go see that guy. Doesn’t that, y’know, piss you off?”

Her dad crinkled his nose and chuckled. “Honey, I know you’re all of fourteen now and know everything…but everything’s fine. Your mom is trying to make some new friends.”

He went on for a while more, but Clarice stopped paying attention. After he patted her head and had gone back downstairs, she shouldered on her coat and slipped out the front door.

She saw them standing and talking. Close in the streetlight. The man handed her mom something. An axe? A hammer?

What the—

Clarice doubled back and approached from the street behind, sneaking into a nearby yard.

The man was talking animatedly to her mom, who stood rapturously. Clarice couldn’t hear his words, but could pick out the rhythm of his sentences, the tone of his voice…

… wanted to hear it. Get closer to it…

…and sent sprawling by someone bowling into her. Her head smacked a paver and all she saw was falling stars before her vision wavered and went black.