Cowardice
Write a response to today’s WordPress writing prompt: Cowardice
Scaredy -Cat: Short Sweet Story
Every morning Dina and Joanne walked past the old run down house that belongs to Mrs Drew her husband had died a year ago and rumours around Mrs Drew’s sanity started to fly around the small town. Everyone knew everyone and each other’s business rumours spread fast.
The house was sat set back from the main road, on its own with a creaky gate and large oak tree in the yard. Joanne at 10 years old thought she was the brave responsible one, she’d always pull her 6 year old mischievous little sister Dina away from the gates, as she tried to peer over into the garden of the old run down house on her tip toes.
” Come on Dina! What are you doing ? We’ll be late for school.”
” Don’t you want to see her, to know what old hag lady looks like now?”
” No way, leave her be she’s an old women grieving mama said now come on.’‘ Joanne pulled her sister away from the gates by the scruff of her neck; her flimsy school dress threatened to rip from her grip. Mama would be mad so she let go and grabbed Dina’s hand instead.
” I wanna see! I wanna see old hag lady at the window everyone says she’s scary and eats children for lunch.”
”I don’t believe that humans don’t eat each other it’s just rumours and people being nasty towards the old women, now come on.”
Joanne gave Dina’s hand a sharp tug. The pair walked off and left the old run down house behind them. Skipping along ahead of her sister Dina looked back at the house and became excited.
” I dare you Joanne, to go up to the house and knock on the door after school today!”
” No way! Why would I do that and disturb her, mama said she is grieving whatever that means but I guess it means don’t disturb an adult.”
” To prove you don’t believe the rumours you got to do it!”
”What do you mean?”
”Well if you don’t believe that she’s a real witch and that humans really eat each other then you’ll go right up to that house and knock on the door.”
” Yeah right Dina, and then do what when old hag lady opens up?”
”Ask her if she wants to buy some cookies.”
Dina fell in step with her older sister and grabbed her hand. Joanna looked down at her little sister, so fierce so bold and full of life at 6 years old. Her piercing blue eyes the colour of the ocean and fair blond hair in pig tails made her smile.
”No Dina, don’t be silly it is not nice to believe rumours like I said she’s an old lady and that’s not how you prove that you’re not scared of something.”
”Scaredy-cat Scaredy-cat!”
” No I’m not!”
” Yes you are!”
” No I’m not!
” Prove it then…”
Dina let go of her older sister’s hand and skipped along the path ahead her pig tails bobbing behind her singing to herself.
” Humm I’ll show you whose a scaredy- cat” Joanne said to herself quietly.
After school the 2 girls walked along their familiar path on their way home, the sun beat down on them as the stood outside ”old hag lady’s” gate. Joanne peeked over and saw un –kept grass, rubbish and old furniture in the yard.
” Go on then.”
” Alright, alright hold on”
Joanne had a plan she opened the gate and walked up the path. As Joanne disappeared up the path she ducked into the un-kept bushes and opened the side gate leading back out on to the main road, she walked around the fence back towards Dina. Once at the corner she peeked around and saw her little sister tip toeing over the gate and heard her calling her name.
” Joanne, Joanne! Hurry I can’t see you, oh no what’s happened hag lady got her!”
Joanne crept around the corner behind her little sister as soon as she was close enough she swept Dina up in her arms.
” Mmmwaaah ha ha hag lady has come to get you, I want to eat you up!”
”No, no put me down!!”
Reduced to tears Dina screamed at the top of her lungs before she realised it was her sister.
” Now whose the scaredy -cat Dina!?”
” That’s not funny! That’s not nice! YOU SCARED ME”
” Neither is believing rumours that people in this town make up about others that’s not NICE or FUNNY. It could come back and bite you on the you know what as mama would say!”
”Told you I’m no scaredy -cat Dina”
Joanne skipped off happy with herself, Dina dried her tears and promised never to call her sister a scaredy-cat again she didn’t like being bitten on the you know what, that was no fun her older sister’s jokes were scary not fun.
Author, Kim Knight 