This is the space to tell us how you would answer the writing prompt that appears in CrimeBits on page 189.
I’m waiting.
Minutes have turned into hours, hours into days, days into weeks. I don’t know how long anymore. I’m not that good at counting that many. Just sat next to the window, waiting for her to come back.
Dad has been drinking that strange glass of light brown stuff a lot more lately. I tried some once. Didn’t like it though. Made me go all shivery inside. My mate Ben said it was prob- ably beer. His Dad drinks that as well.
I don’t mind waiting. Because I know she’ll come back. She always said I was her ‘Special little man’. I liked it when she called me that. Made me feel all warm and toasty.
I love my mum.
She’s the best mum in the world. She makes special cakes and lets me lick the spoon when she’s done with the mixing.
So I’ll wait for her. As long as it takes. Have to keep my eyes peeled, just in case she can’t find the house anymore. It’s been a while, and sometimes I forget where things are, so maybe she might as well. So I best keep sitting here next to the window.
Yesterday, Dad didn’t come home.
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Well, I was down both parents, I supposed. There were still some crisps left. Not much Marmite left, but who wants that anyways. I could probably last until the water gets turned off, since there’s no one left who can pay the water bill. It might be time to finally leave. But I will wait a little bit more. Maybe Dad found out just where Mum was off to and went to fetch her. Maybe she called him and told him she found more beer and he was so excited he ran to join her.
This day was silver and cloudy but bright. I could feel the cold coming off the window like when I stand by the freezer case in the market staring at the ice lollies. I get hungry thinking about them and wonder if I could get to the market all on my own. The idea is exciting, but a dark cloud comes out of my stomach when I think that Mum could come back while I’m gone and leave again to find me.
My arm jumps a little when I see a person out the window, on the street. Like waking up from a dream, thoughts of ice lollies and Mum leave when I see Ben standing there. What is he doing here today? He leans to one side, like he’s trying to see through the front window at what’s inside. I sit up right with a smile and wave.
“Ben, what are-”
And in a flash a big body runs up out of nowhere and tackles Ben to the ground like one of them rugby players. It’s Dad. I start breathing fast like a dog and Dad gets up and drags wild and shouting Ben away.