[Original: Drabble] "Home Sweet Home" [Raised By the Dead, G]
Title: Home Sweet Home
Prompt: writerverse challenge #17 a different perspective (write from a child’s POV)
Word Count: 459
Rating: G
Original/Fandom: original ( Raised By the Dead ‘verse)
Summary: For the first time, Zoe brings a friend home to meet her family.
Note(s): originally posted to the writerverse wv_library
Home Sweet Home
As the school bus drove up to the large iron gates, Zoe clutched the straps of her backpack, feeling twice as nervous as she had a moment before.
In the seat beside her, Molly was looking excitedly out the window, watching those gates come into view. Molly was Zoe’s very best friend, and had been ever since she’d transferred into their school at the beginning of third grade.
Zoe knew that Molly lived with just her mom, who worked very long hours at a big office building in the city and spent the rest of the time having loud shouting phone calls to Molly’s dad, who now lived far away. Whenever the other kids in the class talked about their families, Molly hardly ever said anything and for the first time, Zoe had had the sudden need not just to tell someone the whole truth about her own family, but to share them.
The two girls got off the bus, and Molly looked eagerly around. “Is this really where you live?” she asked. “It’s in the middle of nowhere!”
Zoe nodded. “It’s a really long walk to our house. But, Mol, there’s something you need to know. About my family.”
“What?”
“They’re… well, they’re dead.”
“Oh,” said Molly, sounding a little confused. “I’m sorry, Zo. Was it… recently? Is this a bad time to visit, then? Because I can…”
“What?” said Zoe. “No, no, no, they’ve always been dead. They’ve been dead since before I was born. Molly, my family are all ghosts.”
Her friend’s eyes widened. “Ghosts?”
“Yeah,” said Zoe. “You don’t have to come in if you don’t want to.”
“Are you kidding?” said Molly. “Of course I want to meet your family, even if they are dead.”
“Really?”
“Come on,” said Molly, and took off running.
Zoe followed and both girls were laughingly out of breath when they reached the front door. Zoe pushed it open. “I’m home!”
Miss Cordelia floated down the staircase, as beautiful and regal as ever. “Hello, my dear,” she said, taking Zoe’s backpack and hanging it on the peg by the door. “And you must be Molly. I’m Miss Cordelia, Zoe’s guardian.”
“Hi,” Molly said, shyly, and let her take her backpack, too.
Miss Cordelia smiled. “We’re very pleased to have you here, Molly. Zoe, darling, why don’t you show your friend the way to your room? And then perhaps we can convince Hans to make some cookies for a before-supper snack, while you do your homework.”
“Ooh, yes,” said Zoe, taking Molly’s hand and pulling her toward the stairs. “Hans makes the best cookies.”
Molly paused at the top of the steps, tugging Zoe to a stop. “I think I really like your house,” she said.
Zoe grinned. “I’m glad.”
THE END
Current Mood:
cynical
Prompt: writerverse challenge #17 a different perspective (write from a child’s POV)
Word Count: 459
Rating: G
Original/Fandom: original ( Raised By the Dead ‘verse)
Summary: For the first time, Zoe brings a friend home to meet her family.
Note(s): originally posted to the writerverse wv_library
Home Sweet Home
As the school bus drove up to the large iron gates, Zoe clutched the straps of her backpack, feeling twice as nervous as she had a moment before.
In the seat beside her, Molly was looking excitedly out the window, watching those gates come into view. Molly was Zoe’s very best friend, and had been ever since she’d transferred into their school at the beginning of third grade.
Zoe knew that Molly lived with just her mom, who worked very long hours at a big office building in the city and spent the rest of the time having loud shouting phone calls to Molly’s dad, who now lived far away. Whenever the other kids in the class talked about their families, Molly hardly ever said anything and for the first time, Zoe had had the sudden need not just to tell someone the whole truth about her own family, but to share them.
The two girls got off the bus, and Molly looked eagerly around. “Is this really where you live?” she asked. “It’s in the middle of nowhere!”
Zoe nodded. “It’s a really long walk to our house. But, Mol, there’s something you need to know. About my family.”
“What?”
“They’re… well, they’re dead.”
“Oh,” said Molly, sounding a little confused. “I’m sorry, Zo. Was it… recently? Is this a bad time to visit, then? Because I can…”
“What?” said Zoe. “No, no, no, they’ve always been dead. They’ve been dead since before I was born. Molly, my family are all ghosts.”
Her friend’s eyes widened. “Ghosts?”
“Yeah,” said Zoe. “You don’t have to come in if you don’t want to.”
“Are you kidding?” said Molly. “Of course I want to meet your family, even if they are dead.”
“Really?”
“Come on,” said Molly, and took off running.
Zoe followed and both girls were laughingly out of breath when they reached the front door. Zoe pushed it open. “I’m home!”
Miss Cordelia floated down the staircase, as beautiful and regal as ever. “Hello, my dear,” she said, taking Zoe’s backpack and hanging it on the peg by the door. “And you must be Molly. I’m Miss Cordelia, Zoe’s guardian.”
“Hi,” Molly said, shyly, and let her take her backpack, too.
Miss Cordelia smiled. “We’re very pleased to have you here, Molly. Zoe, darling, why don’t you show your friend the way to your room? And then perhaps we can convince Hans to make some cookies for a before-supper snack, while you do your homework.”
“Ooh, yes,” said Zoe, taking Molly’s hand and pulling her toward the stairs. “Hans makes the best cookies.”
Molly paused at the top of the steps, tugging Zoe to a stop. “I think I really like your house,” she said.
Zoe grinned. “I’m glad.”
THE END
Current Mood:
cynical